On Cybertron, the leader of a small group of Autobots was going over data and projections. He stood up and closed down the computer he was using. Shaking his head, he went to find the supreme commander of the Autobots. He entered the Command and Control room of the Autobots and found Optimus Prime making plans for defending some of the cities.
"Metalhawk? What are you doing here?" Optimus asked. "I have no missions that your team is needed on."
"Due to the fact that my team has not been used in quite some time, I have been going over the data projections on this war. Neither the Autobots nor the Decepticons are going to win this war. Cybertron will run out of power long before the war is over," Metalhawk replied.
Optimus quickly closed the room off from any eavesdroppers.
"Are you sure about that?"
Metalhawk nodded. "I have came up with a partial solution. I don't want to leave the war, but since my team has been unused for so long, the Decepticons might think they are not part of the Autobots anymore. We leave with as much of Cyberton's history and knowledge loaded up into our ship and head to some other planet. Since the ship also contains that transector body, we might be able to restart the Autobots elsewhere."
Optimus mentally went through the various commanders and the teams they led and realized that Metalhawk was the best choice for this mission. He shook his head and stared at Metalhawk.
"You will be leaving while the rest of us handle the Decepticon invasion of Astra City."
"Understood," the Transformer said, as he headed for the door.
"Metalhawk, one more thing," Optimus said.
"Yes."
Optimus opened his chest and handed metalhawk him something from inside his chest. He closed his chest and shook his head sadly.
"That is the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. Take care of it. If you are correct, then the Matrix should not stay here."
"I will. I thank you for this trust," Metalhawk said.
Optimus watched as one of his commanders left and knowing he would never see him or his team ever again. Metalhawk met up with his team and gave a glance at the Matrix of Leadership.
"Lander, Phoenix, Diver, Grand. We have a mission and you won't like it," Metalhawk stated.
"What's the mission?" Diver asked.
"Pack everything up and load it up onto our ship. We are leaving Cybertron during the invasion of Astra City," Metalhawk stated and held up the Matrix. "It is our job to protect this."
"You're right, I don't like this, but that has to be protected," Diver stated.
"Where are we going to go?" Lander asked.
"I have no idea. Any ideas?" Nighthawk replied.
"There is a planet that has non-metallic life-forms on it that I spotted a while back. We could use our size changing abilities and a synthetic overlay to pretend to be of that world," Grand offered.
"I guess that's the new name of our team: Pretenders," Metalhawk stated. "That world would be the last place Megatron would think to hunt for us, even if he remembered us."
The Pretenders got their ship ready for take-off. They quickly loaded everything from their base onto the ship and downloaded the Autobot database into their ship's computer. After that was done, they set things up to look like debris that would be flung into space when Astra City was attacked.
"Now we wait," Metalhawk said, as he sat on the bridge in a shrunk down state.
"Hawk, is this really necessary?" Diver asked.
"I've gone through thousands of scenarios. All of them end with the war at and end and Cybertron completely drained of energy. The absolute worst scenario would be if Optimus Prime lost his life in the upcoming battle and the Autobots scatter. Megatron probably won't figure out the problem until it is too late. This is the last available starship," Metalhawk answered. "The only reason we can use it, is because we can shrink and expand."
The other Pretenders were silent at the truth of the situation being told them. They now knew they were the last chance that Cybertonian life would not vanish. The Pretenders waited and heard the rumblings of the Decepticons attacking Astra City.
"The pattern is wrong. Megatron must be after something else, other than taking over Astra City," Phoenix commented.
"It doesn't matter. Here comes a covering explosion," Metalhawk said.
An energy salvo hit near the Pretenders' ship and set off some explosives that they had prepared. Grand activated the engines and the ship shot up into the night. To all the Autobots and Decepticons, it looked like nothing more than debris being scattered by the explosion. In Astra City the Decepticons were firing at various Autobots, but evading Optimus. A large metallic thud sounded behind Optimus and he turned around to see the leader of the Decepticon forces.
"Prime, just the Autobot I am looking for," Megatron stated.
"You won't take Astra City without a fight Megatron."
"Astra City? You are wrong Prime. I'm not after the city or even the Autobots. I am after you or should I say I am after the Autobot Matrix of Leadership," Megatron stated.
"You will never get it from me, Megatron," Optimus stated confidently.
"Overconfident to the last, Prime? You have already lost. Now!" Megatron shouted.
A group of Decepticons all fired simultaneously at Prime. Optimus dropped to one knee as electrical discharges played about him. Megatron calmly walked up to Prime along with two of the physically stronger Decepticons. The two Decepticons flanking Megatron each grabbed one of Prime's chest plates and pulled it off.
"It has been fun Prime, but with the Matrix, my power will be unstoppable."
"I told you, you will not get it from me."
"Defiant to the end Prime? You would have made a good Decepticon. It's too bad that you will be terminated," Megatron said, as he ripped open the inner doors in Prime's chest cavity. Megatron stared in disbelief.
"You won this battle," Optimus struggled to get out. "You have managed to kill me, but you lost the Matrix and you will lose the war. I gave the Matrix to one of the Autobots and he is taking the Matrix to safety. Till all are one."
Megatron threw Prime to one side and blasted him with his fusion cannon. He glared hatefully at the rapidly dimming shell of Optimus Prime.
"This is Megatron, do not kill any Autobots. Try to capture them instead. Prime didn't have the Matrix and one of them does," Megatron ordered.
"Mighty Megatron, that will take more power than we have allocated for this mission," a whiny voice came back.
"Obey my orders Starscream," Megatron snarled.
"Yes, Mighty Megatron."
Contrary to Metalhawk's belief of the worst case scenario for Cybertron, Megatron came up with a worse one. The Pretenders' ship headed for the planet that Grand had spoken of. On board the ship the Matrix flared to life and an image of Optimus Prime appeared over it.
"Metalhawk, Megatron has managed to kill me in an attempt to claim the Matrix. He will tear up Cybertron hunting for it. My spark has been called to join the Matrix. Till all are one."
Metalhawk went over to a computer and started typing in data and stared in sadness at what was revealed.
"Hawk? What is it?" Lander asked.
"This scenario is far worse than any I have came up with. The energy drain will hit fifty percent faster than what I believed to be the worst case scenario."
"Well commander, what are your orders?" Grand asked from his seat at the controls.
"Continue on to that world. Grand, you don't have to call me 'commander'," Metalhawk said.
"You are the leader of the Autobots now. I am showing proper respect," Grand replied.
"I'm not going to argue right now. We do need a name for this ship. How about Maximus?"
"That will do. Commander, if you would please leave the bridge so I can pilot the ship without distractions."
The other Pretenders left Grand to his job of piloting the ship and went to one of the recreation bays. Metalhawk picked up the Matrix and took it with him.
"I'm not going to install this inside of me. I don't think it can take the shrinking," Metalhawk declared.
"What now?" Diver asked.
"We head to that world, blend in, and over time make new transector bodies if we need to. We only have the upgrade body for Prime," Metalhawk stated.
"What good is that going to do? We don't have Vector Sigma or any back-ups of any of our comrades," Phoenix said.
"We'll find a way," Metalhawk said.
Maximus landed on the planet was hidden. The Pretenders took the forms of an indigenous species of bipedal creatures that would in time call themselves human that were dealing with snow covering most of the lands. Over time, the Pretenders learned about humanity and watched as they grew in knowledge. Sometime when the Pretenders were elsewhere, the Matrix glowed for a bit and infused some metal spheres wih some power. The spheres flew off hunting and waiting.
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(Posted Thu, 22 Jan 2009 07:03)
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